Army Ranger, Cory Remsburg, Honored During State of the Union Address

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In one of the most dramatic moments during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Obama recognized the service and sacrifice of Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg.

Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg, a U.S. Army Ranger, was seriously injured in 2009 by a roadside bomb on his 10th tour in Afghanistan. Pictured here with his father, Craig, and first lady Michelle Obama. (Credit: KTLA)

Remsburg, a U.S. Army Ranger, was seriously injured in 2009 by a roadside bomb on his 10th tour in Afghanistan.

The blast left the 30-year-old soldier with a severe traumatic brain injury, according to the Military Times. Remsburg also lost the use of his left arm and the sight in his right eye, the Military Times reported.

Here is an excerpt from the President’s speech:

I first met Cory Remsburg, a proud Army Ranger, at Omaha Beach on the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Along with some of his fellow Rangers, he walked me through the program, the ceremony. He was a strong, impressive young man, had an easy manner. He was sharp as a tack. And we joked around, and took pictures, and I told him to stay in touch.

A few months later, on his 10th deployment, Cory was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His comrades found him in a canal, face down, underwater, shrapnel in his brain.

For months, he lay in a coma. And the next time I met him, in the hospital, he couldn’t speak; he could barely move. Over the years, he’s endured dozens of surgeries and procedures, hours of grueling rehab every day.

Even now, Cory is still blind in one eye. He still struggles on his left side. But slowly, steadily, with the support of caregivers like his dad Craig, and the community around him, Cory has grown stronger. Day by day, he’s learned to speak again and stand again and walk again, and he’s working toward the day when he can serve his country again.

“My recovery has not been easy,” he says. “Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.”

Cory is here tonight. And like the Army he loves, like the America he serves, Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he does not quit.